Frequently, persons desire to retrieve an article from a location that inhibits direct access to the article, such as an article submerged in a body of water or other fluid. Often, to retrieve such an article, persons attempt to remotely capture the article by using hooks disposed on the ends of poles or lines. Once the article has been captured, persons pull on the pole or line to draw the article to a location where it can be directly accessed.
However, many articles cannot readily be retrieved using a hook. For example, some articles have smooth exteriors that are not easily engaged by a hook. Other articles may be readily capturable by a hook, but the article does not have sufficient structural integrity to withstand retrieval by pulling on the hook. That is, retrieving the article with a hook damages the article.
Moreover, while an article may be capturable by using a hook, often it is difficult to position the hook to capture the article. This is especially true when the article cannot be observed while attempts are made to capture it, such as when the article is submerged in deep water.
Consequently, there have been attempts to fashion retrieval devices that solve some of the foregoing problems. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,223,465 discloses a device for retrieving fishing lures that have become snagged in weeds. The device includes a pair of opposed hooks, and is lowered along a fishing line connected to the lure using a separate retrieval line. When the device reaches the lure, it is repeatedly pulled to rip up the weeds snagging the lure so that the lure can be retrieved. The problem with this attempted solution is that it is generally limited in use to situations where a fishing lure has been snagged in weeds that can be ripped up, and the fishing line remains connected to the lure.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,467,547 discloses a device in the form of a ring having a plurality of barbs for retrieving fishing lures. The ring is placed around a fishing line connected to the lure, and lowered onto the lure using a separate retrieval line. Once the ring contacts the lure, the barbs capture the lure or the object snagging the lure, and the retrieval line is pulled to retrieve the lure, and possibly the object snagging the lure. This attempted solution also suffers from the problem of limited applicability. Namely, the device is generally limited in use to retrieving fishing lures, in which a fishing line connected to the lure is still accessible.
Other attempted solutions have been directed to arrangements including opposed jaws for grasping the article to be retrieved. However, these device have tended to be overly complex, relying upon either a plurality of cables, a biasing mechanism, or both for causing the jaws to close around the article.
For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,152,859 discloses a retrieval device having jaws with spring loaded hinges, and a plurality of cables. U.S. Pat. No. 2,355,086 teaches a retrieval device having jaws operated by an electric motor, a first cable for supplying power to the motor, and a second cable for pulling and lifting the device after the jaws have closed against the article to be retrieved. U.S. Pat. Nos. 1,616,410 and 3,360,292 both disclose retrieval devices that require a plurality of cables for use, while U.S. Pat. No. 2,553,235 discloses a spring gaff disposed on the end of a pole.
The present invention provides an improved solution.